Blue Ghost
by Tyranno's girl
Summary: "'Cause the World might do me in... It's alright, 'cause I'm with friends... 'Cause I'm giving up again, it doesn't matter..." A series of caves are the only witnesses to the beginning of a tale of heartbreak and betrayal. KisaIta, one-sided OroIta. Part 1 of 3


**A/N: I am _so_ out of practice on this whole fanfiction thing. But I really wanted to come back to KisaIta since it seems that the pairing fandom has kind of... _died_. Remember, kids: Just because Masashi Kishimoto can't write worth a damn, doesn't mean that we should stop caring about awesome characters.**

**Anywho, this fic is the first in a 3-Part series all based on the song _'Ghost'_ by the Mystery Skulls, particularly the animated video on YouTube done by MysteryBen27. **

**Don't want to spoil too much, so here we go!**

* * *

A hermit crab was disturbed from its late night hunt when a low rumbling crawled along the sandy, beach-like road beneath the bare branches of thorn-covered trees.

It scuttled away when an old black and blue van rolled past. It was torn right out of the nineties: a rectangle with a shaved front, but the tires were sturdy despite the dings in the old paint.

"Damn it!" Inside of the van, three individuals were trying to ride along without too much trouble. The driver was an older Japanese man with skin so pale it seemed as if he had been brought back from the dead just to wander about on this quiet night. His hair was long and coal in shade, hanging limp around his gaunt face and down his back. Though he wore a white overcoat with a purple belt, he drove with gloves on his hands that covered up to his wrists. When they hit another bump, he hissed, "Itachi, for gods' sakes, I don't know why you insist on us driving around in this decrepit death-machine! It would be better for us to just get _rid_ of it!"

In the passenger's seat, another young man sat focused on the device in his lap. He hailed from Japan as well, the son of a well-off business owner who had sent him to study overseas in the States. His raven-feather locks were tied back in a loose pony-tail, his onyx eyes hosting heavy bags behind slim-rimmed glasses as he worked on the device.

It was a video camera: a newer model that Itachi insisted on fixing here, and tweaking there. But right now, he glanced over to the driver. "Orochimaru. I already explained why we aren't doing that. Now, if you don't mind, please keep driving."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes, trying to focus on the road once more. This time, however, he found his concentration cut short by a barking from the back-seat. "Oh, honestly!" He turned to Itachi, the younger man sighing and setting his camera aside.

"Come here, Samehada." He whistled, patting his lap. Orochimaru tried to stop him, but a few seconds later it proved to be too late. With a heavy bark, the large, so-black-it-was-almost-blue Caucasian Shepherd dog known as Samehada jumped to the front area of the van.

One glance at Samehada would enlighten one to two immediate details. 1: the dog was a massive manifestation of sheer power. 2: life had not been kind to the creature. His entire mid-section was covered in bandages (that usually had to be changed every two weeks by Itachi), as was his left hind-leg, as well as the top of his head.

"What is it, boy?" Itachi asked, letting the dog lick his face. Samehada's tail was wagging against Orochimaru who, after another bump in the road, insisted,

"Itachi, you shouldn't let that filthy beast slobber all over you like that! Honestly, you'll catch some sort of terrible disease." Itachi rolled his eyes,

"You know more than anyone that Samehada is one of the cleanest dogs in the world." His countenance fell as the next few words left his lips. "_He_ made sure of that. Now _I_ make sure of it."

Samehada whined, moving forward to lick Itachi's cheek. The motion caused the the shark-fang emblem on his collar to jingle. Orochimaru took a left, driving in silence for a moment. Samehada looked between the two men before pressing his nose against the radio.

The van was immediately filled with a fusion of slow rock and blues. "Oh." Itachi's hands tightened onto his camera. "This was... One of his favorites."

Orochimaru slammed his left hand against the radio, the force used enough to cause immense pain in a normal individual. He turned and shouted, "Bad dog! Get back there and stop crawling about! Filthy mongrel!" Samehada narrowed his eyes before limping to the back-seat. Itachi shook his head,

"What the hell are you going on about tonight? Look, if you're going to keep acting like this, just let me drive! He wouldn't want you driving his van anyway!"

"Itachi!" Orochimaru shouted, stopping the van.

They stayed there for a moment: the air in the van tense and charged with the kindling for conflict. But Orochimaru wouldn't let things stay like this for long. "Itachi..." He sighed, trying his best at a smile before he reached over and cupped the younger man's cheek. "Look, I know its been hard these past two years... But you need to let go of the past. He's gone-"

"I know, but-"

"He's not coming back-"

"I can't just _forget_ hi-"

"Would he want you to be so hung up like this?"

Itachi opened his mouth to say something in response... But he couldn't. What if Orochimaru was right? What if he _was_ just hanging onto the past as if it would be a lifesaver to carry him back to shore? He let his eyes drift to a close, "I just... Want to reach the last goal we set together. That's all. I don't think that's too much."

"No, no..." Orochimaru shook his head, "Of course not. And, besides, who knows what the night will bring." He leaned over and pressed his lips against Itachi's.

Itachi didn't kiss back.

They'd been together for a year and a half and he hadn't even tried to.

Orochimaru focused back on the road with a glare, "We probably have a better chance of finding a ghost than we do of you reciprocating any sort of emotion."

Samehada snuffled, trying to get comfortable to take a nap. Who knew when they were going to take another rest-stop? One of the dog's ears perked up as he sensed something. It wasn't a sound, but it was a sort of... presence.

The hood of the van nearly burst from its hold, steam billowing out as the vehicle overheated. "What?!" Itachi shouted, coughing as the steam billowed into the car. Orochimaru desperately tried to breath, spitting out,

"I _told_ you that this car was a worthless pile of-"

Itachi cut him off, pointing to the left, "Look, there's a house." Orochimaru and Samehada looked out of the windows once Itachi lowered them, "They may have someone who can help us out. Pull over, Orochimaru."

Orochimaru tried his best to turn the car in the direction that Itachi had pointed out. However, he was filled with a certain... apprehension. It started in his left hand and slithered up to the left side of his face. The sensation even tingled in his teeth.

Nonetheless, the van managed to make it to the front of what seemed like a large beach-house before it finally gave up the fight. The two men and dog stepped out of the van, steam billowing out into the cool, night sky.

Itachi took a deep breath of cool, salty air to regain his bearings. However, he quickly snapped his attention back to his camera. He sighed, "Thank God, it's okay."

"What about _us_?!" Orochimaru snapped at him, pulling at his hair. "Great! Now we're _stuck_ here in the middle of who knows where!" Itachi had stopped listening to Orochimaru several words in. He was far too focused on the house.

One could tell that it had once been the talk of the town: large, elegant rooms, open parlors, and wide windows...

Now it was a structure ravaged by time and storm. It was still standing, though, and Itachi stepped forward: camera in tow and Samehada in tandem. Orochimaru groaned again, following the younger man to the porch. "Itachi, we are _not_ going in there. Who knows what kind of vagrant could be squauting in there!"

"Or," Itachi turned on the camera, "It could be holding enough residual energy to attract spirits. Either way, we need somewhere to stay until the van cools down." The trio walked up to the front door, Orochimaru giving a few knocks. He _almost_ hoped that someone would answer, just to get Itachi to shut up about ghosts and spirits for _one_ night.

Their only response was the creaking of aged, salted wood around them; swaying in the evening breeze. "Well," Orochimaru turned around, "We shouldn't be trespassing anyway. Come along, Itachi." Another gust of wind blew past them, easing the door open.

"You were saying?" Itachi asked with the faintest smirk dancing at his lips as they walked in. Orochimaru was practically scrapped his feet against the floor, keeping a careful eye on their surroundings.

Samehada sniffed the floor as they walked. His ears perked up at the same moment that his fur started standing on end. This place... There was something... _off_ about it.

"My name is Itachi Uchiha," Itachi spoke aloud so the camera could pick up his voice as he recorded the foyer of the beach-house, "I am here in this _exquisite_ house with my dog Samehada," He waited for Samehada to bark before he continued, "And my good friend Orochimaru."

"Is that _all_ I am to you?!" Orochimaru shouted, walking across the sandy, dusty flooring and past the broken, rusted furniture and fixtures. He rubbed his temples, seething out, "Itachi, look. It has been _two years_. And I am here for you, _why_ are you forsaking me in favor of a-"

Itachi turned around, filming the mildewed remains of a lounge chair, "Orochimaru, I don't want to talk about this right now." The two men kept on arguing, though Orochimaru was the one who kept trying to engage, all the while Samehada _smelled_ something moving towards the entrance.

The heavy front doors were slammed together faster than one could comprehend. "Shit..." Itachi whispered, trying to find the button for the night-vision lens on his camera. "Come on..."

Orochimaru turned around this way and that in the darkness, trying to find the way out of the pitch-black death-trap they were in. The scent of sea-salt and a subtle sort of _musk_... They were making him edgy and his body itchy, particularly his left arm. "Itachi, we need to get out of here. _Now_."

Samehada walked over to Itachi's side, his sense of smell leading the way, before he barked to get his attention. The first bark had been for that, but the second was mixed with a growl to create a warning. "Orochimaru." Itachi shushed the older man, trying to see if he could find what was causing Samehada's unease.

"What is he going on about now?" Orochimaru asked, Itachi shushing him again. The trio all winced as a frigid gust of wind blew through the foyer. After the initial shock of the coldness passed, they opened their eyes and Orochimaru nearly fell back onto his ass. "What the hell is _that_?"

Itachi kept the camera, now using night-vision, pinned on the new sight. It was... Oh, it _was_... A spinning blue ball of fire. And the flames didn't burn like normal. It wasn't just the color or the shape, it was the way that they burned inward when the color began to dim, burning outward when the blue hue was bright again.

"I hope this is getting on the camera..." Itachi whispered, his heart thrumming in his chest. Oh... If only _he_ were here to see this. He followed the fireball's path with the camera, the flames hopping on top of the candelabras that were scattered across the room.

Blue sparks of fire soon caught onto the old wicks and the foyer was filled with a soft, blue glow.

Orochimaru glanced over to see Itachi recording the new happenings, positively entranced by it all, and Samehada wagging his tail in some hidden joy. But this was _not_ his portion. Orochimaru immediately began trying to find the exit so they could get out of this nonsense.

Itachi recorded the sprouting flames, taking a mental note of their color, before Samehada turned and barked to the side. Itachi followed the sound, seeing more sights that supernatural experts could only _dream_ of being able to document.

The walls in this house were covered in paintings, the frames now shifting side to side though no wind was blowing. A large ceramic statue of a bird that stood, wings open, near one of the windows began pulsing with a golden glow.

There was the decorative set of swords on display on the wall, all covered by ruby-shaded sheathes that began pulsing white. And the paintings... All expertly crafted and resting on the walls with elegance, despite the ugly ink-stain on the wall beneath them.

Amongst them, one presented a man with orange-hair keeping an even temperament on his face, despite the piercings in the bridge of his nose making him look more threatening. Then another showed a dark-haired man who was nothing short of frightening with his stern countenance and piercing green eyes.

On a desk that was near one of the windows, a pile of papers began fluttering about wildly. They eventually fluttered up into the air, surrounding something...

Yes, it was faint, but it was an outline of a human form; a woman, to be specific. It slowly filled in, though she definitely wasn't solid bone and flesh, until her whispy form was complete: blue hair pinned up by a paper flower, and a simple white dress covered her body. As the papers fluttering about her form settled down and took the form of a paper-flower bouquet in her hands, Orochimaru whipped his head around to see that this impossible sight wouldn't be the only thing to almost give him a heart-attack this evening.

The glow around the bird statue seeped out in front of it, an outline appearing and filling out into a young man with long blonde hair tied back into a high pony-tail. His clothes were covered in beige-stains, much like clay but, despite that, there was a smile in the one bright blue eye that was visible through his bangs.

The light around the swords mirrored the process present by the first two, revealing another young man: an albino with short hair and tattered clothing: as if he had been in some sort of street brawl.

Though Samehada had been excited before, now his unease was back in full-force. The dog moved close to Itachi's side, glaring at the new apparitions while Orochimaru was muttering to himself and insisting that ghosts and spirits didn't exist.

But Itachi was _enthralled_. Actual spirits... Actual _ghosts_! He would have proof now! Their work would have some merit!

_His_ work would have some merit!

"We did it..." He whispered, feeling his eyes beginning to well up with tears. But he held them back, not wanting to miss a single moment as the three spirits came closer. The spirits saw Itachi and they were initially satisfied with just coming closer. However, when their eyes landed on Orochimaru...

Their countenances immediately turned dark, their wispy forms morphing into new, _darker_ shapes. The woman took one side of her face in either hand and _tore_ downward, as if she was nothing but paper. In her action, she revealed a face with cuts and tears all across it; her eyes savage and her pale lips splitting as she growled at Orochimaru.

The blonde shrieked out as his arms _exploded_, blood and sinew spraying everywhere. His bangs shifted, revealing a bloody, empty socket where his other eye should have been.

Finally, the albino's form began to seep, to pour blood all over himself and the floor beneath him. Several wounds across his chest, wrists, and throat opened up: more blood splashing to the floor. Orochimaru screamed, bolting away down the hall, Samehada whining and trying to push Itachi in the direction the older man had taken.

But, for all that he was scared, Itachi couldn't turn away. He kept recording the spirits even as they came closer. It was when the woman reached out towards him that Samehada succeeded in pushing Itachi in the direction of safety; the three spirits quickly giving chase.

"Orochimaru!" Itachi called out as they ran, keeping his camera aimed at the spirits behind them, "Do you have any idea what this footage _means_ for me?!"

"We'll talk about your book-deals later, Itachi!" Orochimaru hissed back, Itachi shaking his head,

"_No_! This means that I'll finally be able to present firm evidence of life after death! Do you hear me? _His_ work will finally have a fruitful conclus-" The trio had to quickly dodge three of the swords that the albino had hurled towards them. The large statue toppled on its base, collapsing over towards the trio before Samehada pushed both Itachi and Orochimaru out of harm's way.

They landed in the next hall, the one that hosted all of the paintings. Itachi checked to see that the camera was alright before looking at himself. "Is everyone alright?" Samehada shook himself before barking, Orochimaru looking behind them to see that the statue had blocked the way for the violent spirits.

"Oh, thank goodness..."

However, Itachi had remembered that the paintings in this hall were exhibiting paranormal behavior earlier. In fact, as he looked around with the camera, he saw that the frames were still rocking.

The painting of the orange-haired man shifted as the man inside glared at the trio. The action was shared by the dark-haired man, the both of them grasping onto the borders of their painting frames and climbing out.

The orange-haired man's face filled with more piercings, some of these still fresh and bleeding. The other spirit's body filled with stitch-like scars that criss-crossed all over his skin. They both glared at Orochimaru as they moved in closer to the trio.

"Why are you all so angry?" Itachi whispered. Yes, they were technically trespassing, but these spirits shouldn't have been so hostile towards them. Samehada jumped in front of Itachi, growling at the ghosts in his vision. Orochimaru was looking for another way out.

They didn't notice that the ink-stain on the wall had begun to move. It leeched itself from the wall, 'standing' as a form that was more blob than human. It reached up a 'hand' towards the ceiling to grab the lever that was hanging down from the next floor up.

It pulled it, a trap-door opening at the end of the hall. The two male spirits faded away, leaving Itachi and Orochimaru to wonder what had just happened. At least until a rush of salt water washed down the hall, sweeping the two men and dog down the hallway and down the darkened abyss.

* * *

The two men screamed and the dog howled as they were washed down a network of old waterways that wound in twisting paths beneath the house. At one point, the waterway split into three parts: each of the trio being seperated.

"Itachi!" Orochimaru shouted as he was swept further down.

"Samehada!" Itachi called out for the dog who could only give a pitiful howl in response as they were split up.

On Orochimaru's soaking path, he was taken further and further downward; he could have sworn that he could hear waves crashing against a cliff-side beneath him. However, at one point, he passed by something a bit peculiar.

It was a mirror.

But this mirror reflected an Orochimaru... with only his _right_ arm still intact.

Samehada's waterway circled around the entire house and seemed to want to take the dog back to the foyer. He also passed a mirror.

When the dog looked at it, it instantly shattered into a thousand glittering pieces.

And Itachi... He clutched the camera to his chest to protect it and the footage he had taken from any damage whatsoever. His waterway was going to the eastern wing of the house, taking him past a mirror as well.

He could only take a quick glance at it, but he saw himself bound and gagged by rusted chains that pulled in two separate directions.

* * *

Orochimaru's trip came to an abrupt end as his waterway ended above darkness. In a desperate attempt to survive, he grabbed at the edge of the waterway before he fell off completely. But the slickness of the water against his gloves made the attempt close to futile. If anything, it just eased his gloves off of his hands until he fell off: his gloves pulling free from his hands.

Orochimaru screamed, expecting his life to end in a series of sharp, jagged spires... However, he simply landed on a balcony that overlooked a small pool of water: still, undisturbed save for stray drops of moisture that dipped from the ceiling. "What the hell is with this house?"

The jagged rocks around the subterranean pool were making his blood run cold, the vessels in his left arm completely contracting and leaving the apendage numb.

Which was _odd_. It wasn't as if anything was even was there. He looked at his hands, wincing at the sight of the prosthethic arm and hand jutting from his left side. The incident that had taken his arm... He didn't even _remember_, it must have been too traumatic for his mind to recollect.

A splashing from the pool took Orochimaru from his thoughts. He peeked over the edge of the balcony to see the waters in the pool boiling and churning: the blue glow from earlier filling the area. "Shit..." He whispered, "Why can't these cursed hallucinations leave me alone for one _moment_?! Damn this house... Damn Itachi's twisted obsession with things that don't exist!"

The chamber went quiet, Orochimaru's eyes going wide when it appeared that his nightmarish hallucinations were nowhere near done.

The surface of the water rippled, a new form rising from beneath the cool, crystal liquid. It was a skeleton, a few patches of flesh and muscle still hanging from certain patches of it's body. When it was completely free from the water, standing as tall as any heart-throbbing football player, the water rippled again.

This time, clothing was dredged up from the pool. A leather jacket with a jumping shark embroidered onto the back, blue jeans, and combat boots... They were all water-logged, the jeans and jacket torn in a few places. It was almost as if they had been punctured...

They slid onto the skeleton, the chest and leg areas filling out as if the missing muscle and skin was being added; though still invisible to the naked eye.

Orochimaru's breath quickened, his heart-rated sky-rocketing as the skeleton's figure filled out: strong and broad. The skeleton turned its head towards Orochimaru, watching him with eyes that weren't there.

The older man took a step back, nearly jumping from his skin when a bright light shot past him. When he got his head straight, he saw that it was the flaming orb that had welcomed them into this hell-hole. Though the flames were a lot less fearsome as they approached the skeleton.

It opened its hand to let the orb rest on its palm before pressing the orb to its chest. It sank in halfway, burning bright as the skeleton turned back to Orochimaru, who was trying to back away.

Orochimaru was ready to make a sprint for it when he heard something not unlike a voice but it washed over all of his senses like a wave.

"_You..."_ He looked around to try and find the source, not seeing anything save for the skeleton. _"Did... This..."_

The skeleton was lifted up out of the pool by a pillar of water. It hoped down from it, stepping forward once. _"Monster..."_ It continued to speak in a voice that was once deep, warm, rough... Now cold, thundering, and rasp. _"Monster..."_

Orochimaru backed himself up against the doorway, "I don't have _any_ idea what you're talking about! Please, go back to sleeping or whatever you miserable specters do, and-!"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence. A ghastly roar shook the room, the skeleton's eyes filling in with a piercing, savage blackness. The water in the pool surged up, surrounding it and filling its clothing. The waters covered every inch of the skeleton, deepening in color and taking the form of something that was not quite flesh but held together as such.

The face that formed was hardened, with a heavy, square jaw and firm cheekbones. Another splash of water came to form wild, unruly hair that, with the help of the orb, glowed a bright blue that was a full distinction away from the blue that composed this new spirit.

The orb burst into a new session of flame, the area being brightened up by its intensity as the remaining water surrounded the spirit's feet. He glared at Orochimaru, roaring, _"You did this!"_

That roar alone was the catalyst for Orochimaru to make a run for it, pumping his legs to get him as far away from that room and the spirit inside as possible.

The older man had been running for a few minutes when he glanced behind him, sure that he had outrun his paranormal predator at _least_ a bit. "Oh gods!" He gasped when he saw that the spirit was only a few feet away, hunting Orochimaru down with the aid of the water around his feet sweeping him through the house.

"_You did this!"_ The spirit roared, his mouth filled with rows of sharp, jagged teeth.

"Leave me alone!"

* * *

Itachi was in the dining hall of the house, Samehada having sniffed his way back to the brunette's side. Itachi zoomed the camera in at various items and fixtures: the silverware, the wine cart, the cake dishes... "Keep an eye out on things, Samehada." Itachi told the dog, Samehada barking in response with another wag of his tail.

Itachi picked up a plate, examining the detail on it. He jerked, dropping the plate to shatter on the floor, when he heard a scream from Orochimaru approaching from the left. "What's going on now?" He groaned, shifting the camera to the direction of the yell.

"Run!" Orochimaru screamed, "Run, run, run, damn it!" He ran past Itachi and Samehada, Itachi still looking down the hall. Then he saw it: the enraged spirit storming down the hall, carpeting a wallpaper tearing in its wake.

Itachi couldn't move. He just continued to record, his heart ramming against his chest and his breathing practically nonexistent. Once again, Samehada had to be the one to initially pull Itachi out of danger, Itachi's body getting the hint eventually.

They caught up to Orochimaru, the trio desperately trying to find their way back to the foyer. However, each door they took either brought them back to the main hall or face to face with the pursuing specter; a ghastly maze with no way out.

"Quick!" Itachi shouted, pointing to a hallway they hadn't taken yet. The three of them ran inside, the blue spirit following them...

… Just to end up seperated yet again. Samehada whined, whipping his head about as he tried to find Itachi. The dog ran left, changed its mind and went right, and ran about in circles until he decided to try and sniff his way back to Itachi again.

The only smell he could pick up, much to his dismay, was Orochimaru's. He followed it down the hall as quickly as he could, his eyes and nose focused completely on his task.

He was so focused that he didn't notice that he was going to bump into somebody until he did. Samehada snuffled a bit, looking up to see a young man painting at a new picture. His clothes were stained in ink, his short hair holding the same color as the substance that also smudged his cheeks.

"_Hm?"_ This spirit spoke, looking down at Samehada. He smiled, _"Oh, what a good dog..."_ He set his painting tools aside to reach down and ruffled Samehada's fur, getting a happy wag in response. _"Kind dog... Understanding dog..."_ When he was done, Samehada looked up at the painting on the wall.

He watched for a moment, the images beginning to shift and move before his eyes until he whined: his whole being feeling... mournful. The spirit looked at the picture, nodding,

"_Yes... That picture makes _me_ feel sad too..."_

* * *

Itachi awoke slowly. For a minute he was disorientated by the surroundings that were odd, almost foreign. Then, slowly, he remembered returning to his lover's house and their celebratory love-making.

Getting a grant to continue one's much beloved research would do that.

He remembered the sheer magnificence of his lover's dark body and the tenderness which the big man had shown. Itachi whimpered as he remembered the passion and mewled as he felt his love's aroused body press against him. He could feel the majestic, morning erection trying to burrow between his ass cheeks. He wriggled against it as his own erection demanded attention.

"Morning, baby," A, deep, warm, husky voice whispered in his ear. "You sure you can take another round so soon?" He asked nudging his shaft between the tight cheeks. "Things got a little...heated."

"It's a good ache, stemming from a good night." Itachi assured him. He angled his head for the kiss he craved; the kiss his love gave to him with lips that were chapped but still soft. "I want it," He added as they broke apart.

His love covered his cock with some of the lubricant from the previous night, adding more to Itachi's entrance, not wanting to cause any undue discomfort and then pulled the pale cheeks apart. He slid his organ up against the still loosened portal and pushed inside. Itachi's body was still tight and resilient and the larger man moved slowly until he was fully inside. He reached to stroke his lover's flagging erection, tweaking at the swollen head, squeezing and stroking to encourage full hardness as Itachi keened deep in his throat at the sensation of suffocating fullness.

"That's it, baby. Want you to enjoy this. Want you to come when I'm inside you. Feels so good when you come. That's it sweetheart," The larger man growled as Itachi began to push back onto the long, thick cock and into his insistent hand. "Come on, baby. Cream for me."

"So good... Too good..." Itachi moaned. He was at the mercy of his larger, dominant lover, there was nothing the smaller man could do but let the bigger pleasure him.

Just how he loved it.

The larger hand was relentless in its masterful stroking, knowing exactly how to arouse Itachi's flesh. The thick shaft ramming into him was pounding his sweet spot and Itachi knew he was seconds away from his orgasm. He wailed out a diluted form of his lover's name, his cum surging from his body, warm and wet over the larger man's fingers. Inside him he felt the other's cock swell impossibly bigger and with feral thrusts, his big lover came shouting Itachi's name.

"Beautiful," The other murmured. As Itachi rested in thick, corded arms, he was happier than he'd been in many years. Perhaps even his entire life.

* * *

"Can you _believe_ it?" The larger man was so excited, he resembled a child at a pet store picking out their first puppy. "I can't believe the university agreed to sponsor my expedition! This is fucking incredible!"

Itachi lifted one of the boxes that was filled with equipment that they would need that day: cameras, charms, books and studies, flashlights...

No one said that hunting down the dead was easy.

"They just finally decided to stop denying what they couldn't see." Itachi set the box in the back of his lover's black and blue van.

The taller man zipped up his leather jacket, the shark on the back almost as blue as his hair. He made sure that his boots were laced up tight before he looked everything in the van over. "Looks like we're all set. Oh." He had to ask, "Did you call Orochimaru? We _kind_ of need him and all."

Itachi shook his head, not feeling too enthused by the mention of the old professor. Yes, one of the conditions of the grant was that an unbiased colleague of the University would have to accompany the taller man and Itachi along their explorations.

But Itachi never felt _right_ around the old professor. He always felt as if Orochimaru looked at him like a slice of meat. Not to mention the harsh, disgusted looks he often gave his lover when he thought their backs were turned.

His lover gave a whistle, a low bark heralding the arrival of Samehada: the healthy hound jumping up and licking his owner's face. "You ready to go on an adventure, boy? Who's a good boy? Who's a good Samehada?" Itachi felt his heart swelling at the sight of his love and his dog playing around on the leaf-covered ground; he almost didn't want to interrupt them.

However, they _did_ have to head out if they wanted to get Orochimaru and get on the road as soon as possible.

* * *

"How many places do you intend on dragging me to?" Orochimaru asked the large man driving the van, already bitter about this arrangement. "I honestly can't believe the university saddled me with the task of watching you two chase after imaginary figments!"

Samehada whined at the old man's complaining, his owner sighing, "I have three places mapped out based on the lore and research surrounding them. However, we may have to reschedule to further reaches of our trips to next month."

Itachi rolled his eyes at Orochimaru's next whine, looking at the camera he had invested in for this series of trips.

The only reason why Orochimaru didn't see this trip as a complete and utter waste (though he did constantly insist that better things could be done), was the close proximity he had to the fair Itachi. How the poor boy saw anything good in chasing after ghosts with that miserable oaf was beyond him.

The first stop in their paranormal research was a series of seaside-caves that were spoken of by local natives to have supernatural properties. When the van stopped in front of them, Samehada bounded out of the vehicle as soon as Orochimaru stepped out to have a cigarette before the nonsense began.

Before his love could leave the van, Itachi placed a hand on his arm. "Itachi?" The deep voice rumbled out, Itachi explaining,

"There was something I wanted to give you. A small congratulations gift." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Go on, open it. I want you to have it before we get inside."

Itachi watched his lover open the box, watched as he stared at the shimmering blue orb hanging on a chain necklace. "Itachi, it's beautiful." His lover nodded, promptly putting it on. "Just you wait: once this study goes through, I'll be the one spoiling _you_ with sparkling gifts."

"Would you two hurry up?!" Orochimaru snapped out, "It's bad enough being with you out here, but somehow being alone while you are making kissing faces in the car is worse!"

* * *

The scent of salt and stale ocean-water was abound in the winding networks that made up the caves. Itachi was recording every step and turn while his lover took notes and picked up anything that seemed close to what they were looking for. A cracked bowl here, a rusted knife there...

However, they didn't find anything worth noting for the first hour or so. "Alright," The larger man said, handing Itachi and Orochimaru flashlights and marking chalk while he fastened a small light to Samehada's collar, "Here's what we're going to do: the path splits up ahead, so why don't we split up into teams to see if we can find something worth presenting to the University?"

Itachi stopped filming, his face looking at his lover with uncertainty that he hadn't felt since his first day at school. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine!" The larger man nodded, "You and Samehada take the left, me and Orochimaru will take the right." Orochimaru scoffed, starting towards the cavern that led to the right. Itachi walked up to his love, beckoning him to lean down.

He rested his forehead against the other's, whispering, "Be safe. _Please_."

They separated, Itachi turning his camera back on and walking down the left cavern. Samehada followed for a moment, but turned towards the right cavern. The dog looked at Itachi again before following his master and the old man.

* * *

"Recorded Log 13," The larger man spoke into the recorder he had brought along, lighting the way with his flashlight, "These caverns are extremely well-traveled. Despite the moisture and moss clinging to the walls, we are _definitely_ in an area revered for a link to the afterlife."

"Nonsense!" Orochimaru frowned, following the other until they reached a cliff that overlooked a subterranean pool of water. Thanks to the luminescent moss growing on the jagged rocks jutting up from the water's surface, the water seemed to hold a blue glow.

"The moss..." The tall man whispered, eyes wide from his awe, "The moss has the same glow as described in ancient passages of the local natives. I almost wish I could get a sample, but the area is precarious. Note: come back to this cave with proper excavation crew."

Orochimaru hung back at a safer distance, glaring at the man in front of him. This stupid oaf... How in the world did Itachi fall for him? A big muscle-bound imbecile who believe in ghosts of all things...

_He doesn't deserve him..._ A smooth hiss tickled Orochimaru's ear, the older man nodding. He felt his left arm and the left side of his body begin to twitch.

_A big, stupid monkey... How _dare_ he lay his filthy hands over a proper Japanese boy like Itachi..._ Orochimaru grit his teeth, his canines growing sharp without his knowing.

Samehada had walked into the cavern that his master and Orochimaru were in, standing a few feet behind the older man.

_He doesn't even deserve to live_...

Orochimaru nodded again, stepping forward. Samehada's eyes widened as he saw that the entire left side of Orochimaru's body had grown a hideous green stain, as if a snake had wound itself over that side of his body.

_Kill... him..._

Orochimaru waited until he could see that the other man was busy before he rushed forward.

And.

Pushed.

The other man's eyes went wide as he felt the floor slide out from underneath him, followed by the weightless sensation of falling. All he could see was Orochimaru's form getting smaller as he fell further. His flashlight and his voice-recorder flew past him, shattering against the jagged rocks below.

Then.

The necklace Itachi had given him was forced into the air, the bottom of it stained by a thick, viscous red.

He choked out, blood spraying from his mouth. He looked down when he felt his descent stop, his breathing labored and short as he saw the various spires stabbing through his body: his blood being washed away by the glowing waters around him.

It hurt... Everything hurt... Every breath he took caused the spires to cut into him more, the waters around him, despite the moss, was thick with salt that stung his lacerations...

The thought of Itachi still wandering the caverns... The thought of Itachi being alone...

And, worst of all, the thought that Orochimaru had _hated_ him enough to do this... He felt his life seeping out from his body, his vision fading. He watched the necklace spin in the air above him, rasping out,

"I... ta... chi... I'm... So... rry."

His body sagged into the stagnant pool as the spark of life left his muscles and nerves. The necklace spun in the air again before coming to an abrupt stop: floating above the man's corpse.

It burst into flames that absorbed the blue from the moss, as well as the blue from the man's hair until the fiery orb burned a bright cerulean.

* * *

Thunder clapped outside of the beach-house, lightning illuminating three more paintings that the black-haired spirit had done.

One showed the bloodied, skewered visage of Itachi's lover on one side while the other side showed the same specter who was hunting Orochimaru down through the mansion.

The second showed Itachi: his hair matted and brittle and his body covered in rusting chains and cuffs that cut into his fair skin, rivulets of blood cascading down his body and seeping into his clothing.

The final one was of Orochimaru. His face was twisted in between a sobbing grimace and a fanged, predatory smirk, half of his body holding that same sickly green tint that it had picked up in the cave. Two eyes peered out of the painting: one being Orochimaru's golden brown, the other being an envious green.

The hallway illuminated itself enough so that Orochimaru could find his way over. "Samehada!" he shouted at the dog, "Where's Itachi?! Let's get the hell out of here while we're in one piece!"

His stomach sank as he heard a growl that was so deep it sounded sourced from the pits of hell themselves. Orochimaru took a few careful steps back from Samehada, the black-haired spirit having long since gone.

The bandages around Samehada's body fell off and away from his body, Orochimaru losing his breath as memories of a long-forgotten night washed back into his mind... The bones jutting from the dog's rib-cage... The exposed muscle around his head... The large, sharp teeth that were slick with a grey, oozing fluid...

* * *

Orochimaru had only a second before he felt sharp teeth sinking into his left arm, Samehada pulling the man to the ground and tearing into the flesh and bone despite the man's screams.

* * *

"_**Master..."**_ Samehada growled out. **_"You..."_**

* * *

Orochimaru struggled to pull himself free, but the moisture of the ground as well as the beast's ferocity made the actions futile. And, in a final tear, Orochimaru screamed as Samehada ripped his arm from his shoulder; bone and sinew splitting like paper.

Orochimaru collapsed to the ground, clutching at his bleeding, agonized shoulder. Samehada tossed his head back, Orochimaru's severed arm sliding down his throat until it managed the impossible feat of fitting inside of his stomach. When he was done, his muzzle was dripping blood as he growled at Orochimaru.

* * *

"_**Killed..."**_ Samehada continued to approach Orochimaru, claws digging into the flooring. **_"My..."_**

* * *

The older man struggled to his feet, snapping his gaze over to Samehada as the dog bounded over: hatred and hunger in his eyes. But Orochimaru was not dying here. No... When Samehada got close, he kicked the dog in its side: the heavy form crashing into several spires that cut into it. The pain was too much, Samehada quickly passed out.

Orochimaru panted, reaching his remaining bloody arm into his pocket for his phone. He dialed a certain number. And waited. "Itachi? Yes, it's me. There's been... an accident. Please, come quickly." He let the phone fall to the ground before he himself collapsed into a puddle of his own blood.

* * *

_**"MASTER!"**_ Samehada bellowed out a demonic howl that shook the entire house. Orochimaru seemed to pass out on his feet, all of this too much for his body. Samehada wasn't satisfied. He bounded forward, his mouth open wide with teeth that were ready to kill.

Orochimaru's eyes snapped open, shining a bright green as his canine teeth grew into sharp needles. _"And I'd do it again!"_ He hissed in a serpent's voice, swinging his arm and smacking Samehada towards the staircase.

The dog whimpered as he felt bones snapping from the impact, more shatters occurring as he fell down the stairs, landing in the foyer in a broken, lifeless heap.

_"NO!"_ Orochimaru turned to see the spirits from before: the armless blonde, the bloodied albino, the torn bride, the pierced man, and the stitched man in the room.

The shout, however, came from the blue-haired specter. He saw Samehada fall down the stairs, hefelt the life leave the animal's body. He roared out again, the house shaking before he shot towards Orochimaru.

The green-eyed affliction left Orochimaru's body, leaving a horrified man to face the fury of the specters...

"Stop!"

Orochimaru, who had shut his eyes in preparation for the inevitable, opened them to see Itachi standing in front of him: his arms stretched out wide (though he was still holding his camera). The specter stopped. No growling, no anger...

He just stopped. And stared.

Itachi's body wouldn't stop trembling, but he did his best to speak, "Please. Stop this. I apologies for our trespassing but please... I've lost enough." He shut his eyes, remembering a night two years ago when his life had fallen apart... The sound of Samehada's last whimpers as he fell down the staircase. "Please, just let us go..."

The specter watched Itachi's face, shaking his head as he reached out to wipe the tears that were gathering in the brunette's eyes.

Itachi stared up at the specter, not sure what was happening then and there. But he felt warm. Warmer than he had been in the past two years.

He looked up at the specter, squinting his eyes. "Do I... know you? Looking at your face, I feel a great..."

_"Sadness."_ The specter finished for Itachi, closing his eyes as his form began to tremble. Itachi shook his head,

"Wait, no... Just, please, tell me what your name was."

The specter went silent. He moved his hand to his chest, the sound of boiling water resonating as the fiery orb slid free from his chest. He watched as the blue fire dimmed just enough so one would be able to touch it before it floated towards Itachi.

Itachi was certain that if he hadn't tightened the camera's strap to his hand that he would have dropped it then. His focus was completely zeroed in on the bright cerulean orb floating towards him, his body pinned to where he stood by the specter's intense gaze.

The orb was a few scant inches from landing in Itachi's hand. The spirits in the room all leaned in, anticipation thick in what was once blood.

Itachi yelped as Orochimaru seized him by the arm, the camera falling to the wayside as he dragged Itachi towards the door. "Come on, let's go while they're distracted!"

"What?!" Itachi shouted, trying to pull his hand away, "No, let go! He was trying to tell me something!" Orochimaru's grip was too solid for Itachi to break free and the younger man realized something else. "My camera! I have to go back for it, the footage on it is the one thing that will make everything_he_ did matter!"

Orochimaru had had enough. He shouted, "_Kisame is dead!_ Kisame has _been_ dead, you suicidal idiot! No amount of playing with dangerous amounts of make-believe will change the fact that you are wasting your life on a dead man who always had his head in the clouds! Come on!"

The specter's eyes were wide open, his hand stretched out towards Itachi. Itachi looked back, tears falling from his eyes as he saw and felt everything he and Kisame had worked for falling through his grasp faster than he could recollect.

The orb went dark, falling to the ground and causing a crack to form in it from the impact. _"No..."_ The specter grit its teeth. _"No..."_ Everything had been so close... And Orochimaru had to go and ruin it all!

The wind outside began to howl, thunder tearing the skies and lightning cracking throughout. The specter tossed his head back with an anguished roar, _"NO!"_

All of the windows in the beach-house shattered, wind blowing in and a sudden wash of rain soaking anywhere it could reach. It was as if a hurricane had started, drawn in by the specter's anguished howls.

The howling combined with the whistling of the wind created an unholy din of noise that Orochimaru fought through until he pushed Itachi out through the front doors. "Let me go back!" Itachi shouted as Orochimaru forced him inside of the van. Orochimaru slammed the door, running around to the driver's side to start it.

As soon as the engine purred, he slammed his foot onto the acceleration: leaving that horrifying place and its ghosts behind, despite Itachi's frets and screams.

They were safe.

Itachi was with him.

And they were safe.

That was all that mattered.

* * *

Inside of the beach-house, things began to look a lot different now that Itachi and Orochimaru were gone. The decrepit house regained its former splendor, the age and decay leeching away.

The spirits felt their forms shift from their macabre, bloody appearances to the calmer remnants that they were used to.

"Damn it..." The man with orange-hair shook his head as he looked over to the cold body of Samehada. "How did this all go so sourly?" The blue-haired bride walked over to her fiance, bowing her head,

"At least the poor thing went quickly. He died with a purpose: trying to get revenge for his master. There was no malice or regret, so as soon as he exhaled his last... He was taken to the place we all hope to go."

The blonde and the albino frowned at each other before looking over at the window. There, Kisame Hoshigaki watched his van carry his lover and his murderer away, further than he could ever hope to follow. He took a shaking breath, trails of salt running down from his eyes as he picked up the orb. It slowly took the form of the necklace that Itachi had given him on their last night together.

Kisame pressed the side of the orb, the shimmering gem opening up and revealing a small picture. It was of Kisame and Itachi during the end of a beach-date: the two of them cuddled up close on a blanket on the sand.

He shouted, slamming his fist against the window panel: sinking to his knees as his heart broke yet again. He had had one chance to reunite with his love, one chance to let him know what had truly transpired. And it was torn away from him!

"I give up..." He whispered, his eyes drifting to a close. The stern-looking spirit stormed over, shaking his head.

"No! Don't you dare! You know what will happen if you give up-!"

All sound in the house was sucked away, the only noise echoing through being the sound of slow, practiced footsteps. The other spirits shrunk back as a figure dressed in black, their face obscured by shifting cloth, walked down the hall.

"One soul..." It rasped out, its voice falling in from all directions, "One chance..." Kisame opened his eyes, watching the dark spirit's approach.

The albino stepped forward, shouting, "But he didn't get to do what he needed to, damn it! You can't collect on your deal now?!"

But the dark spirit only repeated itself. "One soul... One chance..."

The blonde buried his face into his palms, wailing, "This is too cruel... This is just too cruel!"

"Enough." Everyone turned back to see Kisame standing up, clutching the necklace in his hand. "I made a deal. I sold my soul for one last chance to see Itachi and, in a fucked up sense..." His chuckle came out cold and hollow, "I suppose it worked..."

He looked at the picture inside of the locket once more before nodding to the dark spirit, "Do your worst. I'm ready."

"Kisame, no!" The blue-haired bride shouted.

The dark spirit held its hand out towards Kisame, the bluenette gasping as he felt the flooring underneath his feet shift. Looking down, he saw a slowly growing vortex of water surrounding his feet. So... This was it then. All of his work in life, all of his careful planning and caution, all of his good tendencies...

And this was what his reward was.

"It's true what they say," He tried his best to smile, the gesture twisted with the grief filling his core, "Life's a bitch... And the after-life is no better..." The other spirits watched, helpless, as Kisame's form sank into the vortex; disappearing from this plane of existence.

Silence reigned once more.

When Kisame and the dark spirit were gone, the spirit with the orange hair looked down at his hands. They were beginning to fade into nothingness, just like the other spirits and the house around them.

It was time for them to rest. To lay in quiet until another one of their cherished ones stumbled upon these caves; these natural hewn graves by the sea.

Outside, the beach-house vanished from sight; the waves crashing against the shore and the base of cavernous mountains. The very caves that had taken a life and cursed three others two years ago.

* * *

**A/N: Thanks everyone for reading, hopefully I'll get part 2 and 3 out soon, but reviews help sweeten the process!**

**-Tyranno's girl.**


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